FDA
The Federal Dominion of Agrando (previously the Federal Dominion of Agrybander), also known as the F. D. of A, and abbreviated FDA, is a nation that consists of the southernmost part of Adormarth and the Isle of Thorn and it's surrounding islands. Politics Agrando is made up of a number city-states, and each city-state is controlled by a Lord, and has it's own laws, traditions and customs. Each Lord has a seat in the House of Lords, which is in charge of managing federal laws and territories that are not part of any existing city-state. The leader of the House of Lords and the Agrandan head of government is the High Lord, a Lord like any other, elected by his peers. The High Lord is tasked with leading, overseeing and directing the House of Lords. Demographics and Culture Most Agrandans are humans, mostly lighter-skinned, though there is a collection of elves on the Isle of Thorn that make up roughly 20% of the population, there are also a few Orcs and a few of mixed descent (e.g. half-human, half-elf). Because Agrando is located on the ocean, and over half of it is made up of islands, it has a strong navy, and an even stronger economy, in fact Agrando was first established as a trade agreement and mutual defense agreement between several city-states, including the modern-day capital, Londermere, located on the North-East tip of the Isle of Thorn. Agrandans are not known for their intelligence or riches, in fact most Agrandans are fairly average, not the smartest or the richest, but they are a good, hardworking people, and despite their national intelligence average being relatively low, Agrando has produced many bright scholars and inventors. Very family and community oriented, they most often always will go out of their way to help an absolute stranger. Many of them may seem very strange or eccentric, Agrandans seem to have a passion for collecting things, especially weird things, but once you live among them for a while, you get to know them and you start to understand, or are at least not surprised by, their odd behavior and habits. Major Settlements: *Londermere Population: ~95,000 *Lockscore Population: ~66,000 *Willora Point Population: ~37,000 *Cliffton Population: ~36,000 *Walwent Population: ~25,000 *Kondarsk Population: ~21,000 *Bantory Population: ~15,000 *Londertree Population: ~5,000 *Lonsorrim Population: ~3,000 Economy Since Agrando is, so far, the only nation to discover the Cabrian process (a top-secret way of cheaply desalinating sea water in massive quantities, the Agrandans control almost the entire fresh water market (not that there is much of one). They pump water in from the sea, run it through turbines to produce power, and then it flows through underground pipes to a desalination plant, where the salt is removed, some of the water is pumped into the civil water system, and some is stored in holding tanks, ready to be shipped to other nations or to remote areas of the country. Water is one of the main exports, as well as Corstorn Powder and Agrandan Ale. Other major exports would include Wood (several different types), Metal (again, several different types), Diamonds, and a few types of Medicine. Agrando's currency is called the Crown. There are three different types of Crowns, Gold, Silver and Bronze. There are one hundred Bronze Crowns in a Silver Crown, and one hundred Silver Crowns in a Gold Crown. Armed Forces Because the FDA has a large population, it also has a large military. Agrandans are not forced to serve in the Armed Forces, but it is the law that all fit and able citizens must take basic military training, so they may be able to defend their home and their country if necessary. The Lords consider education one of the most important things in the nation, and thus anyone that serves a five-year contract with the armed forces receives their (advanced) education free of charge (advanced education normally costs a fair amount; basic education is, however, free). The armed forces uses a variety of weapons, including guns, cannons, flamethrowers, swords, maces, trebuchets, etc... Soldiers make less than the average Agrandan, but keep in mind they do receive free education, entertainment, and room and board.